A Lost Heart
by Yoshi Okami
Summary: OC Story. Having wandered through numerous worlds trying to figure out who he is and why he is cursed, our character finds himself put into a bargain with the mysterious Wizard. Play a game and you go home with your memories. But it involves a girl falling in love with you, and five other guys trying as well. Sure it's morally wrong, but it's either that or die. What will happen?
1. Bound by Contract

**[STORY UPDATE] I wanted to apologize for being away so long, life has been pretty rough for the past month or so, I needed some time away to recollect my thoughts and evaluate everything. I wanted to let you guys know that I will return back to writing the story very shortly. So, thank you to everyone who has read over this and liked it.**

**Hey guys, it's been a long time since I've been here or really written anything. A lot of things have been going on in my life, mostly bad but I'm trying my best to get through it. Ran into this game a while back after seeing some people play it, I found it interesting for the storyline and decided, why not, I'll try another fanfiction.**

**So, I'll try not to crumble on this story either haha. Also, to avoid a very lengthy story, I'm going to focus primarily on the important scenes stuff rather than the whole day-to-day basis of several months. Well, let's get started then!**

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**_Dandelion - Wishes Brought to You: A Lost Heart_**

_For the longest time...I've walked a path of uncertainty and aimless hopes. Many regrets lie in the back of my mind, most of which I cannot remember or understand why they plague me. Was there some part of my life that was so significant and it pains me to not remember?_

_Family...friends...or possibly someone I loved? It was maddening...I longed to know for what seemed like ages...but I am doomed to wander alone without the answer my heart desires. Cursed with every second that I do not discover who I am anymore._

_If I could cry, I probably still would. My...my loneliness never left my side, not for an instant. The answers of my life always seemed within reach to every new place I came to but, always felt quite literally worlds away all the same._

_...I just...wish I could remember…_

"_**Is that so?"**_

_Huh…?_

Darkness enveloped me, swallowing me within its chasms of vast emptiness. It was almost completely familiar to me, as though a darkness had always taken me to where I am going.

I fell for quite some time before my feet rested upon a nonexistent floor. My eyes surveyed around me and still, I could not see anything.

That was until...stars lit up throughout the emptiness, like a galaxy had just been born. Shades of crimson, gold, white, and a vast overlay of violet colored the stars.

It was...surreal to say the least. But still, I was wondering who the voice was….

"Wonder no longer, for we finally meet." The voice spoke again, echoing across the stars.

My body turned to face a strange sight. A tall man with hair of silver starlight and eyes with a gloomy shade of purple, complete with exotic looking clothes revealed himself from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hello Mr. Wanderer." He spoke with an assured tone.

I did not know why...but for some reason, I could feel a surge of power faintly emanating from the man.

"Who are you...and why I am in this strange place?" I asked rather quickly.

"You stand in the boundary between the human world and the gateways to many others, the Grim continent if you will. Also referred to as my home." He smiled to himself.

"As for who I am, I am the kind Wizard, a being who grants wishes to those desperate enough for their desires to be fulfilled."

…What? Granting wishes...how can one do such a thing?

"If this is true...why have you brought me here?" I asked.

"Well, the fact that we are having this conversation proves to me that you are desperate to fulfill your wish deep within you. I could feel the pain and emptiness from here." He chuckled to himself.

Desperate? I mean...I may want to know who I am but I wouldn't go as far to say I'm that desperate….

"Tell me, what is your name?" The Wizard asked.

I looked back at him through my mask, somehow, he knew that I couldn't answer.

"...what are you playing at, Wizard?" I said slowly.

"Ah! Nothing at all actually, in fact, I'm here to help you. I can grant this wish of yours, to restore yourself back to who you were at some point, even back to your own home."

"..." I couldn't say anything. It...I know there's something to this guy I shouldn't trust but...this is what I have only been searching for.

"...What's the catch." I demanded rather than asked.

The Wizard looked at me for a moment with crossed arms. He could see that there was no reason to delay his own motives.

"Simple, as I said I'm not playing at anything. Rather, I would like you, to play a game." He said, closing his eyes and grinning.

"A game? I'm not going to play you in betting if that's what you're asking."

"No, nothing like that. In fact, it has far more at stake than simple bets. The participation of this game is to win the love of a woman." He said.

A woman? Why? What does this have to do with granting a wish?

"Normally, in order for me to grant a wish to my usual clients, it would require any memories that related to the wish itself being taken from them. Of course, even if I were to do that to you, what memories could you offer me?" The Wizard found amusement from my situation.

"But, what does this have to do with a girl?" I asked again, this time out loud.

"Well, it's mostly just to entertain me from the boring atmosphere I find myself trapped in. But, the rest are reasons of my own." He remained skeptical.

"Also, you will not be the only participant. Including the girl, there will be five others vying for her love in order to win as well, making for a total of seven participants. Whoever can win her heart before the time is up shall win the game and have their wish granted, returning from whence they came." He explained with a smile.

Of course...there was the catch.

"What about...the losers?"

"Ah, they will lose their memories and remain in the human world, unable to go back to their home and their wishes are all but gone." The Wizard finished.

I gave a sigh. Also having to explain something as well.

"Forget it. I don't want to string along a girl's heart for selfish gains. Even if I were to join your 'game', I wouldn't live long enough to see the end of it, I'm cursed." I could feel the burning pain along my body with every ticking second.

"What a bother. Each of you always wanting me to bend the rules...very well. Because you are a perfect candidate for the game, I shall halt the progress of your curse until you win or lose. Should you win, you will be free, back home with your name and life back. Lose, the curse will continue to claim you. But you will still have your extra time left, just memory-less." He sighed.

It still didn't feel right. This man was hiding something and I could easily tell that the girl is part of a more hideous scheme of his. But...if I were to refuse, then I will die anyways. The pressure was disgustingly painful but…

"Fine. I'll participate." The numbness of my heart could feel a knife of morality going through it.

"Fantastic. But I must warn you. Do not violate the game rules, you must not tell anyone of the game. Do not explain of my home. You must make her fall in love naturally, not against her will or in interference of the others. And...you must never tell her that you will be gone once the time is up."

"Whatever. Fine." I shook my head, mostly in disappointment with myself.

"Good. Now...you are not an animal like the others...so we'll have to change that." I saw him look over me, his eyes seemed to be fixated on the insignia that wrapped around my cloak.

"Perfect, that emblem will do well."

I felt the top of my head and lower back jolt in pain.

"Ow! What the hell?!" My hand lowered my hood of my cloak and I could feel...ears? And behind me was a jet black tail?!"

"Suits you well. Now, be ready for the game to begin, when her choice is made, you shall turn back to your true self again…" The Wizard said his final words with a smirk.

Sigh, what have I gotten myself into.

* * *

How humiliating...stuck in the form of a baby wolf...how I've fallen.

"Hey! Move over!" The black cat whispered loudly.

"Oww~! Hey!" The orange cat whined.

"Young Master. Please stay close." The silver rabbit spoke quietly and firmly

"Okay Eddie…" The young white rabbit barely whispered.

"Will you stupid cats shut it?! You're gonna wake her up and ruin everything!" The brown spotted rabbit whispered rather loudly.

"Perhaps you should take your own advice." I suggested bluntly.

"Don't you got a moon to howl at or something? Get lost!" He continued to be stubborn, I sighed at his stupidity.

There wasn't much room, even in a big basket like this. I suppose that maybe all five of them were anxious to start winning the affection of the girl. It didn't matter as much as it should have to me.

"Cat, perhaps if you were to tuck your legs in, there would be room for all of us." The silver rabbit spoke in his deeper voice again.

"Oh yeah? Maybe if you cut all that hanging fur off you, there would be even more room!" The black cat rudely retorted.

"I have a better solution." I got my paws out of the basket and made my way to lay down on the girl's bedroom floor.

After all, the morning light was entering the room, I probably wouldn't need to be here long.

"...You didn't have to leave." The quiet little rabbit spoke again.

"Indeed, it wasn't that much of an inconvenience for us." The bigger rabbit spoke with his proper voice.

"Heheh, speak for yourself!" I could hear the black cat stretching out already.

"It's fine. I prefer the distance." I spoke, laying my head against the floor and resting my eyes.

It's strange. I've never really tried to rest as much as I have lately with the curse temporarily halted. Much of the pain that kept me up has subsided, despite that I can still feel it clearly enough.

I suppose I should be thankful. It's something to consider after all.

"I'm tired of waiting." The black cat spoke again before he let out a loud meow.

Oh great.

"...?" I could hear the girl softly call out in confusion. Her eyes opened slowly, wondering where the sound had come from.

At first, she closed her eyes and shook her head as if she had merely imagined the annoying cat that actually existed. I noticed her looking over herself, feeling her hair and giving a deep sigh. What was wrong with her?

Then she looked along her wall after noticing the sunshine falling into the room from her window, seeing a clock.

She wore a black ribbon neatly tied that separated the back of her hair from the bangs falling against her night gown, which complimented the dark brown hair it kept neat. Her eyes though...while a deep golden brown...they wore an expression of severe anxiety and a deep sadness behind them. It was strange to me, but I could understand that having been that way myself.

"Meeeow-" The orange cat cried almost louder than the black one. Oh boy…

The girl immediately found the source of the noise, finding the basket of animals. She closed her eyes and then reopened them, as if she were imagining things.

"Meeeooww-" The black cat said as though he were saying "what's up".

"Meow meow." The orange cat made it sound like "good morning".

The girl sat there with a huge look of disbelief on her face...until…

"C-CATS...AND RABBITS!?" My ear drums nearly exploded. The girl had no idea what to believe, but then her expression widened even more.

"Wait!" She quickly got up to check the windows, she must have realized that we couldn't have gotten here on our own.

The girl quickly made her way towards a hand sized rectangular object on her bed but panicked and went back to the basket first.

"...Oh no. How many of them are there?" She examined the basket and counted, but it was only then that she realized I was here.

"H-huh? Is that...A WOLF?!" She nearly flipped again. I sighed inwardly.

"W-wait...no I need to stay calm…" She took a deep breath and picked up the object, pressing three buttons and then held it to her ear. I assumed it must have been a phone of sorts.

"Hello? Police? Someone...someone broke into my house and left a few animals here…was anything taken?" She made a few looks around the room and outside of the room.

"No, I don't think anything was stolen, I mean everything looks as it was when I slept and the windows are locked...Pardon? Well, yes I live alone...No I'm the only one with the key…"

It seemed as though that the police were having hard time believing her. Granted, I probably wouldn't have believed it either.

"Well, I don't know! I just woke up and found a basket of animals beside my bed! W-wait! Can't you call someone to take care of them? I mean they've clearly been abandoned by whoever owned them.." She looked to us and noticed that we were all staring at her.

"H-huh?" She stammered a bit before answering her phone. "Y-yes, the address is…"

She continued to look at us, puzzled by the rabbits and cats. She must have assumed that we would have run away or done something by now.

"Tomorrow?" Her face gave a very tiredly sigh of defeat, "...Yes. Thank you, sir."

She thought to herself for a bit and then walked over to where the basket was, kneeling down. Her face examined the animals, her eyes glazed a few times. Sometimes she even smiled a little.

But then, she looked at me. She held out her hand and made a motion if I wanted to come closer.

I looked at her for a moment, I didn't really want to move or to be near those strange animals but, her eyes compelled me to. I stood up on my new four legs and walked on my paws to sit in front of her, looking at her.

She looked at me for quite some time as well, I could feel her eyes examining mine and the form I had been forced to take. She gave a soft smile.

"I'm hungry." The black cat suddenly spoke out.

There was a bit of silence. Until she screamed very loudly and stood up. She looked at him as though she were trying to prove that he had actually talked. I closed my eyes, annoyed.

"...Meow." He said, trying to act like a normal cat again. She still didn't seem convinced, holding a worried expression on her face.

"Meow." He said again, looking at her as she stared back.

"...Maybe I am hearing things." She said with a sigh of some relief. It was almost comical to see how nearly close we had come to failing within the first ten minutes, all because of a stupid cat who doesn't know to let his stomach speak for himself.

She gave herself some thought after looking us over and then stood up, leaving the room and making her way to what seemed to be the kitchen.

Naturally the black cat leapt out first, and the others followed behind shortly. After a few seconds, I decided to go too, remaining in the back.

She fixed something in a bowl and placed it along the ground. It seemed to be some vegetables and bread.

"Here, eat this." She said, offering the food to us. The black cat of course went for it first, the others following. I remained by myself, not hungry. She fixed her a bowl of something else and poured milk into it, eating her own breakfast.

The black cat was such a glutton, falling into the bowl and meowing dumbly. But, while surprised, the girl laughed. For some reason, I got the feeling she wasn't used to laughing.

She seemed to space out with her eyes closed for a few moments before snapping back to reality.

"...Ah." She looked around and noticed something.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late for class!" She rushed up to get ready in the bathroom, reemerging about a half-hour later and quickly left.

* * *

"Well, that was...interesting to say the least." The silver rabbit spoke several minutes after she was gone, probably waiting to make sure she wasn't coming back for a while.

"...Yeah." The white one said.

"Tch, all she did was look at us like an idiot over and over again, I have a bad feeling about her." The spotted one spouted his usual rude remarks.

"Hey, don't be rude. She fed all of you when she could have just taken us straight out of here." I said with observation. The spotted rabbit didn't seem to appreciate my observations.

"I gotta agree with the pup, that was some good food! Though maybe I shouldn't have slipped like that." The black cat laughed a little. Clearly.

"Well, just make sure you stick to your meowing rather than letting your appetite speak for you." The silver rabbit made another jab at him, for some reason those two just didn't get along with each other.

"You got something to say Bunny Boy?!" He snapped again, hissing.

"Oh come on guys! Don't fight, we gotta look good for the pretty lady!" The orange cat smiled coyly. He wasn't really much better. "I'm glad she's got a bathroom too! I love baths…"

A cat that likes baths? What kind of nonsense is that? It seems my thoughts were shared with the others.

"Ugh! How can you stand the water? Can't you just, I dunno, groom yourself?" The other cat spoke.

It went on for maybe an hour or so, the rest of the time we just roamed trying to tour the place, until we could hear footsteps getting closer from outside.

"Back to normal." I said quickly, walking towards the balcony window and sitting down, looking outside.

The door clicked a few times and then opened, the girl came in with a worried expression on her face and then saw us. I looked at her for a moment and then back outside to enjoy the view.

"Meow." The black cat spoke with reassurance again.

She gave a deep sigh of relief, she seemed to have been anxious over us all morning. I turned to look at her again and she seemed to be in deep thought, as though she didn't know what to do.

Well, it clearly didn't matter much. We were going to be sent away tomorrow. Perhaps I should just go ahead and get out of here soon. After all, she's doing what any normal person would do in this situation.

After several minutes of silence, I heard her walk over to another phone and dial more buttons. I guess it was time for her to seal the deal then. I got up to look around for a casual way out of here.

"...Hello? Yes, I called this morning about picking up abandoned animals…" Seemed like I was right, I observed the windows to see if there were any I could open with my paws. I jumped up to the windowsill from the bed and tried to unlatch it.

"...I'd like to cancel that."

I stopped. What? Cancel?

"Yes...yes, thank you. I appreciate it. Have a good day." I leapt back down and looked from the corner of her bedroom doorway at her. She softly put the phone back down and gave a deep exhale of breath. She noticed me looking at her with my red eyes, looking at me for a while with confused eyes.

Maybe she was wondering if I understood her.


	2. Adjusting to a New Life

**[UPDATE] Hey everyone, I've been having a dilemma with my story, mostly pertaining to basic laws on wolves/wolf hybrids as pets in the world. It's a controversial subject I had not thought about when I first began writing this story and I had been debating about it with myself on what to do for quite some time. So, to avoid any more delays with the story and considering this is merely a fanfiction, I will disregard this and continue on with the OC as a wolf. I understand that there are people who would appreciate the realism, as would I, but it's entirely different when it concerns you writing the story and especially with it being an important story element. I apologize in advance if it may discredit the story for you haha.**

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**Hey, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's read over my story so far. It's crazy to think that someone else from the United States or even from another country has taken the time to look over what I've written and that was something I've missed. I know it's not really all that great, but I still appreciate it nevertheless. Anyways, I've written some more and I think I'm happy enough with it for now, please enjoy and let me know what you think, if you'd like.**

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_It's been an entire week since the day we arrived to this girl's home, and a strange time it has been. But with the lifestyle I've been accustomed to living, I've learned that every place I seem to find myself in always brings about its own set of unique strangeness._

_She was always busy, frantically working herself to constant exhaustion as though she were trying to please thousands of expectations. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and a deep sense of exhaustion, which led me to believe that, while she may not have been working hard for a lot of people, perhaps it was someone important._

_Speaking of which, I had to begin making my own observations about the new place I would come to consider as my "home", so to speak. The girl wasn't around much the day after we arrived, saying she had to work. Though she made sure to feed us with what bit of animal food she could get a hold of._

_That worked for me, I preferred the solitude and gave me a chance to learn more about this place. Or at least, as much as I can without opposable thumbs. Never thought I would say anything like that._

_Of course, when I say solitude, that also had to account for the other strange animals I found myself housemates with. When strange becomes a factor, they certainly take the majority percentage of it._

* * *

_To begin with, the black cat was the most active one of the five. He rarely remained in one part of the house, unless it was the kitchen. I couldn't begin to fathom where he could stuff as much food as he desired in, and I didn't want to know._

"Damn! I can't open the fridge! Hey, you, puppy. Wanna help a cat out?" He stretched his paws and entire body up to the handle, unable to grip it and lacking the body strength to pull it open.

My face held a frown, though you could hardly tell with most animals and their expressions. I looked at the black cat with a deep sense of regret, wondering what this guy could honestly want for himself to be here. Maybe it was a lifetime supply of snacks.

"Don't you think our owner needs some food to herself so she has enough energy to get through each day? You're going to literally eat up her funds." I said, sitting down and using my back leg to try and scratch off this itch that had been bothering me since last night.

He grumbled to himself, perhaps I should have done better to try and befriend others here but I couldn't see much use in trying to.

"None of you are any help, sheesh." He got back on to trying to open the fridge in vain. I just sighed and left the kitchen.

_He seemed very simple in both personality and mind, but there was something else he carried about him that wasn't clear to perception. Something else that, could have been bad._

* * *

_The orange cat was just as strange as the other one, if not more so. He often sat in front of the bathtub, lamenting that our owner wasn't here, complaining that she couldn't give him a bath._

"Heeeejunngg…! Come back, please! I want to feel the soothing water and your hands washing me!" He whined pathetically.

"Shut up, you stupid cat!" The spotted rabbit yelled from the living room couch.

_Heejung...she had introduced herself to us the day she came back to cancel our pickup to be sent away, trying to be as kind as possible. It was a simple name, if nothing else._

_I did my best to avoid the orange one, much like the other cat, I felt he hid away even more undesirability of himself. Usually, my intuition was right about these things._

* * *

_Now when it came to undesirability, the most upfront one about it had to be without a doubt, the brown spotted rabbit._

_His attitude left him very detached from the others, as though he were too good to be associated with any of them and myself included. If he wasn't so rude about it, I could actually sympathize with him in this retrospect._

"What are you looking at, wolf?" He said to me from the couch, almost scowling.

"Not much, apparently." I said as a retort, still scratching this damnable itch that kept feeling worse.

"You're not very funny, you know!" He snapped back like a whip.

"You're not fooling me either, now go back to waiting for the TV." I said, flipping my tail and leaving.

_It was easy to tell that all of his remarks and outbursts were just distractions for who he really was inside, clear as day. Whether he was actually a good person or something even worse than what he gave off however, was the tricky part to deduce._

* * *

_I suppose one of the only ones here who I could actually grow to appreciate was the silver rabbit. Though he nearly always remained by the smaller white rabbit's side, he was very polite and kind. A huge difference from the spotted rabbit._

"...Pardon me." I could hear the rabbit's noticeably deep voice speak from nearby, I turned to see a small wooden plate of blueberries laid down by his mouth. My eyes looked at him, confused.

"I wasn't sure if you preferred some type of meat or vegetables, so I took the liberty of finding these for you, since you haven't really eaten since our arrival." He spoke, sitting down and looking at me with his crystal blue eyes.

Why was he trying to help me? He had no reason to do such a thing, especially considering that I'm technically meant to be his competition.

Still, I didn't want to be rude to him, so I gently took my paw and slid it closer to me before I spoke back to him.

"Thank you...even though you didn't have to."

He gave a nod and hopped back on his way to the other rabbit I'd guess.

_He was a very particular character, it made me very curious as to why he was so nice, because most people, or any sentient being for that matter, is not easily that way._

* * *

_The relationship between him and the white rabbit was interesting at the least, but the small rabbit was unbelievably quiet and mysterious. Which is weird for me to say, considering most would have said the same about me._

_He depended upon the silver rabbit as though he were a crutch, asking him to do a rather large various number of things for him, though some could not always be done for him._

_The strangest thing about him was that he was always observing us, never saying anything but remaining quietly investigative._

"Uh...hello." I said, the white rabbit had quietly looked at me as I had been sitting around.

"..." He didn't say anything, mostly just looking off into space with his dark ruby eyes.

"You don't really say much, do you?"

He failed to respond, just staring off.

_Out of all of them, he was the most difficult to read with so few openings into the personality. I couldn't understand why he was here or what he had to do with the silver rabbit._

_However, I don't think he was a bad person. If anything, he probably carried a deep burden within him._

* * *

_With all this said, my observations of them had been concluded enough for the time being. After all, none of us were in our true forms surely enough, so to make complete assumptions about them before then would be irresponsible._

_Our owner would come home at some point in the afternoons, mentally and physically strained. One day, she was too stressed out to do anything._

_Her bag plopped on the floor and she fell onto her bed as well, too tired to care about the neatness of her room. We were all pretty concerned, so we went to see her._

_She felt relieved, giving each of us a bit of attention. I'm not sure if it's just because I'm a canine now but, it felt really good to be petted by her. Her hand was really soft and gentle._

"I don't feel comfortable when I'm doing nothing…" She spoke to us. "Honestly, I should do the work for the art club...and my school work...and…"

Her golden eyes looked over each of us and slowly, the tension that had been building up that morning in her expression began to slowly melt away into a smile.

"Maybe I can do them later…" She seemed to be very relieved as we laid there with her, keeping her company. Very soon, she fell asleep. Once she was comfortable, we all left her to rest.

_It puzzled me to think how this girl had the confidence to live on her own in such a big city as this yet, she strained herself as though she lived under a vast shadow that overlooked her and whatever her life consisted of._

_That kind of feeling saddened me, because it felt familiar. But, I'm just a baby wolf, there's nothing I can quite literally say to help her. At least not yet._

* * *

_Today, she had been overworked with something she called, "cram school". I wasn't really familiar with the customs of this place or perhaps even this world, but the way she referred to it implied that it was entirely separate from her regular schooling._

_My owner came home very exhausted, but upon seeing us, it brightened up her expression some._

"Ah...I'm so glad to see you guys." She kneeled down next to us, paying some more attention to us, which had gradually increased more over the past week.

The cats meowed, they seemed to have been glad she was home as well. She laughed a little.

"Yes, I'll be sure to feed you and give you a bath too!" She smiled, though I could clearly see she hadn't been sleeping well. Her eyes were sunken and her expression seemed forced slightly.

She also paid attention to the rabbits, mostly the pair as the brown one insisted on staying farther away.

My owner saw me and stroked the underside of my mouth, I could feel my tail instinctively wagging.

She took some time to feed us and give us care, before she went into her room and read some books, I assumed they were for her class. Afterwards, she laid down to fall asleep.

* * *

It was late, the body pain kept me up and I couldn't get any rest. So, I made my rounds about the house, making sure everything was okay.

Both of the cats were asleep, it seemed that was the case for the brown rabbit too, but the silver rabbit was still awake, watching over the younger one.

"Didn't mean to disturb you, just watching over the house." I said before turning to leave.

"Young Sir." He quietly but carefully called out. Young Sir? I turned back.

"...Yeah?" I said, confused.

"Surely you have seen that our lady hasn't been sleeping well." He said, addressing me with his deep eyes.

So, he noticed it too. Those rabbits were unusually perceptive.

"Yes, I have. What of it?"

"I must look after my Young Master, perhaps you could watch over her so she won't lose any more sleep. I can handle the house." He said with a firm disposition.

This rabbit continued to surprise me, always doing the things that didn't make sense in such situations and still came about as a nice person.

"Why not someone else?" I asked in a non-rude way, it was peculiar that he paid heed to me.

"I trust you more than those cats. The other rabbit is...well, you've seen him. Besides, are wolves not loyal and protective to those they care for?" He spoke, closing his eyes.

"..." Huh. He was right. Even though I wasn't an animal like them, I had been chosen for this form because it was supposed to match who I was. But wait...care?

I'm supposed to only be here so I can have my wish fulfilled, so why should it matter what I do anyways? But...I'm not heartless.

I took a moment to answer but I nodded back to him and left him to his business.

So, true to my word, I found myself near her door. Before I could go in, I could hear heavy breathing and panicked breaths of fear.

There wasn't any time for me to think, I knocked the door open with my body and ran in like a storm, jumping onto her bed and growling around me. I couldn't see any signs of an intruder but didn't stop until I made sure.

I heard the gasp behind me and looked back to see my owner. She was drenched in sweat and held her forehead within her hand as though it hurt. She looked at me with an expression of surprise.

Softly, it turned into an extremely relieved smile. She must have been having a nightmare...which would have explained the restless nights. I guess in my lack of thinking, I had assumed someone broke in to hurt her. Or was that just my animal nature?

My owner gently took a handkerchief and wiped herself off some and looked back to me with her soft eyes. Her hands picked me up and her arms embraced me carefully.

_...What was she doing…?_

"Thank you...for coming. I didn't...I didn't want to be alone." I could feel her cheek against the top of my head. She...was actually really warm. But then I felt something wet drip against me.

She began to cry. Her arms embraced me tighter, but in a comforting way. I didn't know what to do, or if there was really anything else I could do except to be here for her.

Her tears continued to shed from her eyes for about two minutes, but afterwards she seemed to be feeling better, even though she had been sniffling and had to clean her face. She sat me down next to her and laid back down, soon falling asleep again but comfortably.

There wasn't much I could make of what had just happened, but I guess all she needed was some company to help with her night.

When I think about it...I actually understand now how she felt. She stayed here alone, and without anyone to support you, the nights really can be an absolute dread.

It didn't feel right leaving her here so, I laid down beside her and soon closed my eyes to rest.

* * *

_My owner spent the next day making sure that all of her work was caught up, she didn't want the pressure of having assignments nag you in the back of your mind, ruining whatever time you would have off. I understand how that is as well._

_But, the day after that, she gathered us up and placed us on the couch, lined up. Perhaps she had reconsidered sending us away?_

My owner looked at us with worried eyes, as though her mind had been playing a game of what to do with us. She thought deeply to herself, full of indecision.

"Meeeeoow?" The orange cat spoke in his 'playful' but confused manner.

She looked even harder at us, unable to process information. Her eyes closed as she thought, before reopening them.

"...What should I do?" She said to us, as though she hoped we would answer for her.

A few of us looked back to each other, wondering what she really was going to do. Had we had any real positive effect on her? I mean, she seems still overworked and full of panic at times, but things like the other night were...different.

"Hmmm…" She thought aloud, sometimes with a tired expression, other times with a sweet smile as she thought.

"...Hmm.." Eventually she came to some sort of conclusion in her head.

"I suppose I could keep you all for a while longer, after all, I've become attached to all of you" She smiled, petting each of us. But then she stopped with another thought crossing her mind.

"Ah...since we're going to be together longer...maybe I should give you all a name? But...what to name all of you. This is difficult…" She thought to herself with an awkward laugh.

A name? Huh. That would certainly be different, I can't recall giving myself a name unless it was chosen by others for me. Unless you can count being called a demon or a shadow.

"Black Cat, you're Jisoo! Silver rabbit, you're Jihae. The white one is Jieun. Spotted rabbit, you're Jiwoo. Orange cat, your name is Jiyeon, and baby wolf, you're Jitae! There!" She gave a firm smile before thinking again.

"Um...are they too similar…? Well, maybe it'll be fine, it'll just take some getting used to."

Jitae. Hm, Jitae. It's certainly a name I never would have thought of picking for myself, but it doesn't have a bad ring to it. Perhaps I could get used to it.

"I'm not sure how long we'll be together, all seven of us. But nevertheless, let's all have a good time!" She smiled with her eyes closed, her mood seeming to be elated even more.

* * *

_She seemed to be in a much better mood for several days after giving us our identities. It seemed to solidify her connection to us and her personal attachment as she referred to._

_Still, she remained busy as always, continuing to work hard on her work. Though whenever she did come home, she spent noticeably more time with us._

_If she wasn't tired, she would turn on the TV and find herself surprised when Jiwoo would hop onto the couch to watch a drama series with her. Jisoo would often nap on the couch too, or beg for food._

_Sometimes, she would come out to the veranda with me, Jihae or Jieun, taking careful care to make sure we wouldn't go through the railing to fall below. If it was laundry, Jihae would surprise her with giving her a shirt she had forgot to put in, or water the plants with Jieun nearby. With me, she would look off towards the tall mountain in the north._

_She would talk about wondering what was outside of this city, or the country she referred to as South Korea. I normally found myself in situations like that when I had traveled, but sometimes it's best to appreciate what you do have. You never know what kind of dark things you can find in the world. Course, I couldn't tell her that, only small barks._

_With Jiyeon, she would occasionally give him baths as he desired, it still made little sense to me. Though of course, she made me take one...ugh._

_But, it was a comfortable lifestyle, at least as an animal. I didn't have to worry about the cold stares of strangers wherever I went or having to worry about bloody battles of power struggles._

_At least, even if I lost, I could finish my last few days in a place of peace._

* * *

_One day, our owner came home from school and gathered us up again, this time with the basket we had first came here in._

"Hey guys! I felt kind of bad because you haven't really been out...so I thought we could go on a picnic together and have fun!" She carried a bag full of other things as well, from what I could smell, it was mostly vegetables.

"I made snacks for you guys instead of just pet food, and I also got something for you Jitae." She smiled and kneeled down next to me. She fished through the bag to pull out...a silver collar and black leather leash.

_...Oh god..._

"I thought you would like this, Jitae. Besides, I don't think I can take you anywhere without it." She laughed a little, putting it around my neck firmly, but not with tight constriction. I groaned inside.

"It looks so cute on you!" She nudged at my ears with her fingers before petting my head. Try all you want, stroking my fur won't make the situation any better. I could certainly feel the stares and inward laughter from the other animals.

My owner packed a few more things into her food bag, ready to move out.

"Let's go!" With that, she moved her hand and opened the door for us, leash in hand and all. The sunlight of the world shined on us, nearly blinding me.

* * *

All along the way to our picnic, passing people made regular looks of astonishment and curiosity at us. Plenty began to inquire about us, mostly about Jihae or myself.

"So cute! How old are they?" Many would ask.

"Ah...um...haha, I'm not sure because a friend got them for me." She laughed nervously.

"Could I touch them?" Another would ask.

"Sure!" Heejung would give a smile, as it seemed to be no trouble to her. Though it did seem to be for Jisoo, as he hissed when a hand would come toward him. I just shrugged it off.

"This silver rabbit is very interesting, is it a breed of Siberia perhaps?"

"Um, m-maybe?" Of course she didn't know, she usually struggled with the gradual interrogations of the people nearby.

It continued as we moved on, some would try to pet the other animals. Jiwoo and Jieun did their best to avoid them, Jisoo usually continued to hiss in a threatening manner, Jiyeon seemed overly enthusiastic about the attention, while Jihae and I were indifferent.

They would ask for our names, ages, what kind of breeds we were, everyone seemed to just see me as a puppy dog rather than a wolf though. Which was probably fortunate for my owner.

* * *

"This looks like a good spot!" She gently laid the basket down and set out a blanket to sit on. Jisoo and Jiwoo laid down on it, while Jieun and Jiyeon remained in the basket to rest with Jihae looking over Jieun. I sat further away from them, but fairly close to my owner.

She sat in the shade and looked at us with a sense of peace and happiness, something I had rarely seen ever since our first time being with her.

"It feels good to be outside with all of you."

I looked up at her, wondering what was going through her head.

She fed us the snacks she had brought along with her and watched over us, making sure we were comfortable.

The past two weeks have been something to say the least, in the beginning it was fairly quiet. With the exception of the banter of the animals' disagreements or general shenanigans.

There were many times when I had assumed we would have been gotten rid of quickly, but to my astonishment, she keeps us around. Maybe there was an intense loneliness in the life she lived before us and, even though we're just small animals, she takes solace in that we're here with her.

Just like the few nights ago, where she held me with tender care and still cried her heart out. I got the feeling that she bottled up so much pain that she hid away from other people, of what exactly I wasn't sure.

It was a nice change of pace to see her more content, and she doesn't seem to keep an expression of intense panicking and a worried heart about her lately. I suppose with time, she may find that own easiness she's seeking.

"Thank you, guys…" She said finally to us. With that, she packed us up and we headed back home, ready for whatever the coming weeks would bring us.


	3. Accidents and Embarassment

**Hey everyone! I wanted to say thank you for all the positive feedback, it's really helped with the inspiration and with my rough week. I don't really smile a lot or look forward to a lot of things, but seeing the viewership go up some and hearing feedback was really nice. **

**So, without further ado, here is chapter three haha. We're getting closer :P**

* * *

_Time has gone by so slowly. Much more than I would have really thought possible. It's hard to believe it's barely been a month since we've arrived, although it's felt like at least two months have already gone and passed._

_I felt that, if I were to remain in this form, I'd go completely crazy from all these itching sensations. But I have to stay patient...or try anyways._

_Patience...such a difficult word. That's all I've ever done is wait, and wait...and wait._

_Sigh. What am I doing here? Am I really doing the right thing? _

_Was it even worth finding out who I am? I mean, I couldn't have been too important if I was honestly that forgetful. Was all this effort and participating in this foolish game even worth the while?_

_Still...I suppose it's better to find out what roots you come from, even if it may not be a happy one._

_My thoughts were always plagued with this everlasting guilt I've acquired over my new owner, I had never felt any kind of regret like this until the day I saw her face. There was something to her that made me...feel something inside of me._

_Though I may find some comfort in the care she's shown me, it only makes me feel horrible to know that even if she does choose me, or any of us for that matter, she'll only end up getting hurt in the process._

_I'm not sure if the other animals felt that kind of pain inside of them, maybe they were only focused on their goal alone and didn't feel the guilt I felt. Surely, some of them must have._

_But I suppose it doesn't matter, I have become shackled to the contract. My opinions didn't make any difference. All that mattered was continuing on with this routine._

* * *

_Not that long ago, my owner came home on a Friday night, very late. The others had been hungry and hastily complaining all day, it mattered little to me. However…_

_It was very odd that she came home so late, why was this?_

I had quickly realized the answer to my question with a smell. Alcohol. Ah, I see. Her eyes seemed to shakily wander about, as though seeing straight had become an impossible challenge.

With her shoes kicked off (somehow she did it), she lazily got her bag off of her and made her way to her bed. The other animals observed her as she did as well.

She must have been exhausted, normally she would have gone to shower before resting. Still, it was better to leave her be.

* * *

"Maaann, what's going on? I'm hungry!" Jisoo whined after the point where she would have passed out.

"Are you incapable of doing anything for yourself? Lazy cat…" Jiwoo remarked.

"Hey twerp, don't start something you can't finish! Besides, I can't go and get something for myself with these damned paws." He looked at what could have been his hands.

"I wish she hadn't forgotten to feed us, I'm so hungry too!" Jiyeon complained just as frequently as Jisoo. It must have a been a cat thing.

"Do you think she's alright?" Jihae asked with a concerned tone.

"I think so, though I can smell the scents of other people about her." I said, scratching the side of my neck.

"...I don't like the smells." Jieun said quietly, he rarely talked.

"Ah who cares? It's her business." Jiwoo gave with a firm "hmph".

"Why do you have to be all cocky, huh? Don't you ever get tired of trying to be all high and mighty?" Jisoo said, grooming his paw.

"Not really, it's easy to be far smarter than someone who spends his entire day trying to eat." Jiwoo was clearly not here to make friends.

"Hey! Cats are way smarter than rabbits, don't get the wrong idea!" Jisoo was easily offended.

"...Perhaps your comment could use a little more clarification." Jihae remarked from seemingly nowhere.

What was up with these guys? There seemed to be no middle ground among any of them, it spiraled my head with these quarrels.

"How much longer do we have to stay like this? I'm so sick of saying 'Meoww'!" Jisoo continued his rant, it was a wonder that our owner didn't wake up.

"You know, the complaints aren't going to speed anything along!" Jiwoo said yet again.

"It's easy for you to say, rabbits don't even speak! Cats have to make noises and cry out and look nice for everyone. All you have to do is eat!" Jiyeon added to the conversation.

"I'm just ignoring her!" Jiwoo retorted.

"It doesn't matter, you heard what the Wizard said. The terms have already been stated and when that time comes, we'll cross that bridge. Jiwoo is right, complaining won't make the transformation come any quicker." I finally said. The complaints had surprisingly irritated me.

Jiwoo looked at me surprised for a moment, but then closed his eyes and looked off again.

The others seemed to grumble to themselves as well, it could have just been grouchiness from their hunger, but slowly they agreed.

"Come on, let's get out of here before she notices her pets talking." I said, with us leaving the room to rest for the night.

* * *

_Summer had come and brought about a sense of relaxation for my owner. I wasn't used to seeing that in the time we came to live here._

_Though she was still going to school, Heejung had found a bit of extra time to spend with us. It was simple, but she seemed to take needed enjoyment out of it._

_Normally, she would stay home on the weekends to look after us but had suddenly gotten the urge to go out with us. _

_Strangely though, she picked me._

"Jitae? Where are you, boy?" I could hear her call out from the living room. Really? Boy? Oh great…

I grumbled to myself and walked on my four paws to greet her. She smiled and pet my ears.

"Want to go to the beach with me, cutie?" Her finger nudged at my nose. Somehow, I got annoyed. So humiliating…

"Woof woof." She looked a bit surprised by my reply but her expression brightened. After getting that damned leash on me, she took me out.

* * *

The cool breeze of the ocean air flowed through my fur. It was refreshing and I suppose it was nice to be out of the house for a while.

I mostly sat and looked out to the horizon, observing the waves that rolled in along the sand. It reminded me of a world I had been to once, the water there was far clearer and pleasing to look at.

Still, it was nice being here with my owner. Maybe I should stop calling her that, or I really will develop some kind of complex with ownership.

"Jitae, are you hungry?" Heejung called from beside me, holding a basket next to her. I gave an indifferent look at her, but she still smiled with a bacon-like snack in her hand.

I knew this was going to be awful.

Hesitantly, I took a bite of it. It took everything within me to not get sick. I swallowed it as quickly as I could and tried to avoid choking.

As though it were condescending, she pet my head and giggled a little.

_Patience Jitae…patience…_

* * *

_I suppose I was starting to feel how Jisoo, Jiyeon and Jiwoo were that night about complaining. Ever since my owner began spending more time with me, she feeds me disgusting things!_

_Ugh, how can anyone feed this to animals? Seriously, if people tried this stuff, they'd probably think twice about giving it to the animal they're supposed to care about._

_With that said, I was puzzled why Heejung began to spend more time with me rather than just the other animals. Sure, she still takes care of them and gives them attention, but she spends noticeably more of it with me._

_Is it just because I'm a wolf? Is it my eyes? Am I just not as needy? Wait, shouldn't I be thankful for that?_

_But, I wasn't. Her beginning to look at me more only made me self-conscious and ask myself questions that I never would have asked before. Am I being good enough? Am I not being an inconvenience?_

_Questions like these were things that never crossed my mind, because I had never cared about what others thought of me. Yeah, it did bother me when I get glaring looks of mistrust or even fear, but my reputation wasn't something I ever gave a thought about._

_And just like that, this girl completely throws that pattern out of order, and I'm not even human while that's happening._

_Sheesh, what's going on with me?_

* * *

One day, my owner called out for me.

"Jitae? Jitae!" Heejung looked around for me until she saw me, she gave a grin.

"Hey boy, I wanted to sit down and watch something, did you want me to brush your fur?" Her face formed a gentle smile.

Actually, I was a little worried...the pain I kept about me was bothering me more than usual lately and I don't know if that would help or make it worse.

Before I could think about it, I felt her hands pick me up and place me on her lap, sitting on the couch. The TV flipped on, scrolling through several pictures before stopping on a movie.

Hm, seemed to be another movie about a girl trying to seek out the approval of another guy and winning him over, while he tries to do the same for her, though neither of them really see it until the end.

My owner seemed to be absorbed into the movie, her eyes occasionally looking away to see me and eventually remembered about brushing me.

"Oh! Sorry, got a little carried away, haha." She picked up the brush beside her.

I took a deep breath, I had a bad feeling about this.

The bristles caressed my hair, which actually didn't feel all too bad. Knots and tangles pulled out a bit, which did hurt but felt better afterwards.

Maybe I worry too much, after all she's being car-UGH!

I couldn't help but yelp in pain as I felt the bristles push against the glowing red curse marks deep under the fur, my vision began to darken.

"Oh my gosh! Jitae! What's going on?!" She held me more carefully to try and examine myself, gasping at what she found. I felt that familiar dripping of tears.

"W-what is this? Jitae!" My consciousness faded in and out.

* * *

_I...I could still hear her voice. It seemed far away, as though she were calling to me from higher atop a mountain. _

_Where I was exactly, I couldn't be sure...my consciousness always walked in darkness._

_If I ever slept, it was never with any dreams, just emptiness. I never recalled any dreams, maybe it was because I lacked any memories. _

_Still, shouldn't everyone dream of something? Anything?_

_I guess I should have known better, it's never good for me to get close to anyone. It only causes a burden when someone finds out that there's no point with the problems I have._

_She...was crying after realizing what happened. Why? I know she didn't mean to hurt me, but she didn't have to cry for me._

_...I couldn't understand. No one has ever cried for me._

_I sat in this emptiness, contemplating this fact until I felt water fall on top of me. What?_

_It began to rain and slowly, I started to become soaked...huh?_

* * *

Light slowly returned to my eyes...and I found myself in Heejung's arms still.

_Her tears...they had drenched me. She was still crying?_

I weakly looked at her, she was overcome by grief but gasped when she saw me looking at her.

"Jitae!" She hugged me tightly, still crying. "I'm so sorry for hurting you! I didn't mean to do that...I thought I…" She hesitated.

"I...I'm so glad you're okay…" Her sniffles had taken over most of her sentences, her eyes were still pouring tears.

I didn't know what to say...even if there had been something to say, I couldn't.

My eyes wandered and noticed the other five looking at me too. Were they concerned?

* * *

_That evening, she laid me to rest on her bed. She called what I believed to be a doctor for animals to get some answers._

_No one could explain it, but they must have told her it was just some form of inflammation, that cold baths with rest would have helped._

_It wouldn't but it's better they didn't know the actual truth._

_She remained entirely worried about me for the rest of the day, trying her best to keep me comfortable and taken care of. It already felt like I was dying, so maybe this was suitable._

_Once she was sure she did enough for me, she put me carefully on the couch to sleep, petting my head softly before heading for her own bed._

_And that's when the real interrogation began._

* * *

"Yo! Doggy! You okay up there?" Jiyeon asked in his usual 'playfully concerned' tone.

"Yes, thank you Jiyeon. You can leave now." I said quickly.

"Heeey! I'm just trying to help!" He said as though he were pouting with puppy dog eyes. I'm supposed to be the dog here.

"Look, it's nothing. It wasn't her fault, it doesn't matter." I quickly tried to get off of the subject.

"Hey, why are you so quick to refuse help?" Jisoo asked with his inability to take a hint. Should have figured.

"It's a shame, it could have made an interesting one-shot if something had actually happened to you." Jiwoo said in his own manner. I wasn't really sure what to make of it.

"Besides! You didn't have a problem with being helped and loved by the lovely lady!" Jiyeon spouted his nonsense again.

"What the hell are you talking about loved? It was just concern, would you want to deal with an unconscious animal in your arms?" I knew this was going to happen.

"Eddie...they're being loud again." Jieun was quiet again, barely audible.

"It's alright...they're just giving him a hard time." Jihae said, not taking much of the conversation seriously.

"Hey! Don't get me wrong, I'm just being a nice guy! Besides, if you wanna talk about loud, then look no farther than the bunny!" Jisoo referred to Jiwoo unsurprisingly.

"What did you just say, you stupid cat?!" Jiwoo glared.

"Guys…" I said weakly.

"You know, it's been a month." Jiyeon suddenly said with realization.

Actually come to think about it, it had been, and damn was it a slow one.

"...You're right. Seems like time is flying by." Jisoo said with the exact opposite opinion. Again, I wasn't really surprised.

"...She isn't ready to choose, yet. The time is not quite right. We must be patient." Jieun said with clear intuition.

"Indeed." Jihae said, looking at us with quiet eyes.

"I gotta say, I wasn't expecting her to be a really busy person. Figured she would have been some kind of hermit, considering that he likes her." Jisoo said with a half-caring spirit.

He...Jisoo must have been referring to that damn Wizard who brought me into this. It was curious though...why did he choose her of all people? And like her? Something's really odd here…

"I wish we could spend more time with her…" Jiyeon pouted more.

"She feeds us well, that's good enough for me." Jisoo remarked with his simple needs. I guess he was right.

"We'd be better off without her! She just gets on my nerves, and you cats don't help either!" Jiwoo's rudeness knew no bounds.

"You're annoyed by everything." Jisoo read my mind.

"Ah, shut up." Jiwoo finally said.

"Seems like your faking death routine got you some serious brownie points with the owner, huh puppy?" Jiyeon said in a very playful, but irritating tone.

"Maybe we should try that too…" Jieun said quietly to himself...what..?

"Young Master...that's…" Jihae quietly remarked.

"I really didn't think he would have chosen a normal chick! I figured it would have been some nut case, hahaha." Jisoo said with his casual but somehow offending remarks.

"He chose a person of lesser intelligence." Jiwoo failed to accept being the lesser offender.

"Maybe you should give her a chance." I said to them both.

"Yes, you shouldn't jump to conclusions." Jieun quietly backed me up, which was actually kind of comforting.

"But don't you think she's a little...odd at times?" Jisoo asked.

"She's hiding a deep sadness inside of her…" Jieun gave a sudden interpretation.

"Yeah…" I said to myself.

"I can feel that too…" Jiyeon also quietly remarked.

"At least she's trying to make the best of it." Jisoo closed his eyes, giving his own opinion.

"I still say she's dumb, if she doesn't find her self-esteem then it won't matter." Jiwoo said quickly. While I didn't agree with the intelligence bit, he was right about her self-confidence.

"Can't really argue with that, I'll have to give you a point for truth, Bunny." Jiyeon said.

"Don't call me Bunny!" Jiwoo snapped.

They were all making very valid arguments...they had been observing just as I had...but I knew there was something more to her that needed investigation.

With that, they left me to rest and I did my best to try and recover.

* * *

_With the problems of my curse disabling me, I spent much of the next two months resting, I had wanted to get up and explore but my owner wouldn't allow it. After seeing how much she had worried over me, I couldn't do anything but obey her._

_A few days after the incident, I had noticed that my owner had been home more often, often taking care of me and the other animals. Her school must have ended for vacation, she still went to her cram school and work, I believe._

_But I was glad, she did deserve time off for all the work she puts in. It boggled my mind to process how many things she really does, how was she able to do all that and take care of six animals?_

* * *

_The entire second month passed by without much of anything interesting happening. Aside from the occasional panic over leaving the other animals here, she spent much of the other month with the other animals. _

_Someone had even been interested in taking Jihae to make...more breeds. Ugh. This world was absolutely strange. I had become thankful that I hadn't drawn as much attention as I should have._

* * *

_Much like the second month, half of the third month had passed quickly as well. I suppose Jisoo had finally proven himself correct in my eyes, maybe it was just because I couldn't do much after my incident but, I felt that the time had been coming closer and closer._

_Still, there was...another incident. Though, I wasn't the victim for once._

* * *

"Huh...I think I had heard from somewhere that yogurt is good for cats...maybe I should add that." Heejung said quietly to herself as she examined the fridge.

I looked to the other animals, confused. Once I noticed a bowl full of chestnut shells though, I figured something was up. The scent of another person was upon it, so my trust of it instantly fell.

"Maybe some broccoli...carrots...apples, aloe juice? Mixing everything could be a healthy dinner for them." She put together a bunch of ingredients in the salad bowl that originally had the chestnut shells in it.

"Okay guys! Come and eat!" She said with a sigh of relief and a nervous smile.

Jisoo went in for the kill first, naturally. Jieun and Jihae followed, but they only seemed preoccupied with the broccolis and apples. Jisoo, along with Jiwoo, ate a bit of everything.

Jiyeon and I didn't even bother to eat, we both knew something was up with the food.

Suddenly, I had realized that I was right. But quickly regretted not being able to say anything about it, as both Jisoo and Jiwoo fell onto the ground, quiet and lifeless like.

"Oh no...oh no! ...What should I do...?" She began to panic again, much like when I had fell unconscious as well.

I turned my head once Jisoo had begun throwing up. I hope this teaches him not to be such a glutton.

"S-stop eating everyone!" She quickly picked up the two and moved the bowl so she could help them.

I shook my head and went back to the couch, this was sure to cause another late night discussion. Fantastic.

* * *

"Jisoo, you alright?" Jiyeon asked much like he had to me when I had been in Jisoo's situation.

"Ugh...I think I'm gonna die...what was up with that food?!" Jisoo complained, probably rightfully so in this case.

"Could have been those chestnut shells. But then again, you and Jiwoo ate a part of everything, so who knows." I had said. If I could shrug, I probably would have. I felt like the Jisoo of the group now.

"Well, at least you threw it all up! Bunny though, I don't know how you came back to the land of the living." Jiyeon remarked to Jiwoo.

"Shut it, cat! What was she thinking?! Was she deliberately trying to kill us?!" Jiwoo quietly raged.

"I thought the food was okay…" Jieun said, as though he were to completely undermine his argument. He picked the strangest times to join into a conversation.

"Luckily, you only ate the apples, Young Master." Jihae said in correction.

"How come you two are just fine and dandy?!'' Jisoo quickly accused them, before groaning with sickness.

"Well, you see, the white rabbit only had apples and the tall one had broccoli." Jiyeon answered.

"Tch. Talk about picky." Jisoo retorted.

"Like eating everything helped you?" I asked.

"Well! You gotta have a well-balanced meal! Though...maybe the food could have been a bit more safe." Jisoo had tried to argue back but saw the fallacy. Great observation.

"You should have just been like Jitae and I, don't go and eat everything." Jiyeon said with confidence. What was up with this sudden befriend attempt?

"I'm just tired of all of you, stupid owner...stupid cats...and stupid rabbits!" Jiwoo's patience seemed like it finally snapped. Couldn't say I was surprised.

"Yo! Why would you complain when Foodgiver tried to give us a great meal? I mean...yeah it kinda got us sick and all that, but still." Jisoo still defended her despite getting sick from her choice of meal.

"That's very mature of you, Jisoo." I acknowledged.

"I would have preferred nothing over that!" Jiwoo whipped back, completely disregarding me.

"...I want more apples…" Jieun said out of nowhere again, that yet again barely had anything to do with what we spoke of. It was actually kind of amusing.

"I do appreciate everything she has done for us, of course." Jihae said, expressing his gratitude.

"...Apples." Jieun said quietly to himself.

"I'm glad that she's been getting better, she doesn't look as worried or sad at times. Today excluded." I said out loud.

"Yeah...she does seem like she's been changing." Jisoo agreed.

"What do you mean by changed?" Jiyeon asked, of course.

"She's looked after us far more lately, and she carries a calmer heart." I said.

"Yeah, she's been a lot nicer too lately, after spending more time with us." Jisoo added to the conclusion.

"I guess you're right, she wouldn't have even cooked before." Jiyeon remarked.

"At least I didn't have to worry for my life before! It's worse now!" Jiwoo, of course, had to put in his own input.

"...She has changed some." Jieun agreed softly.

"Yes...like Jitae said, she has relaxed over the time we've been here. Mostly." Jihae also put in his contribution.

"I'm glad." Jieun finally said, before everyone went to their own areas to sleep.

_As I laid back down to rest, I feel time ticking down. My heart knew that it wouldn't be long before the true nature of this game would begin to take its course. That regret followed by with that very pain again. Even though I had no answers for when Heejung would inevitably question us, I knew that I would have to be ready._

_Ready for her to see who I really am._


	4. Obscurity Revealed

**_[STORY UPDATE] Hi everyone, I just wanted to say that I will return back to writing the story shortly, I've had a lot of things come up but it seems to have settled out for now. In the meantime, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read and liked my story. Hope to hear from you all soon._**

* * *

_My thoughts regularly wandered from place to place. That sort of thing is common for those who talk less. To fill the gap of physically speaking your mind, we become talkative, in our own heads._

_My head was speaking strange riddles again, the unknown feelings that had been circulating within me. Some felt like nostalgia with peculiar days, mostly when I was out of the house with my owner. Others were...less positive._

_I found myself recalling something else today, the sketchbook that Heejung almost always drew in on her time off, or when she was with us. I remembered keeping one myself, but the sketches entailed within mine took me to more exotic lands than the one I find myself in now._

_It only led me to believe that this world couldn't have been my own, it was too simple and peaceful, too small-scale. Though...it didn't feel entirely unfamiliar. But, despite all of that...I felt comfortable with that fact._

_Perhaps I could share this experience I had with her, maybe she would appreciate the sentiment? After all, maybe it would help me to understand more about her as well, seeing as she seems to enjoy drawing._

_Seeing Heejung sketch, it made me realize that it was different from everything else she did. She carried a more effeminate aura about her when she would begin drawing, relaxed and content. Just as she was now._

* * *

The sunny, ocean air was sweet smelling, unusual from the normally salty scent I had been used to. Perhaps there had been someone selling a delicacy nearby.

Windy breezes washed my fur, dancing with the invisible force. I felt cool and eased. It really did help with the pain I had sustained not that long ago.

The other animals were also enjoying the summer day at the beach, mostly just Jiyeon being chased by Jisoo for reasons I could not fathom.

It seemed like the ocean was a lighter and clearer blue today, exceptionally pleasing to look at. Seemed like others thought so too, as I could hear nearby people taking screams of joy as the waves would roll in.

Heejung looked up from her sketchbook and gave a sighing smile at the two, making sure that we were being well-behaved and staying nearby. Her eyes wandered out to the water, thinking to herself before she spoke.

"It really does feel like I'm on vacation...it's been so long since I've been out like this…" She said softly to herself.

For some reason, she seemed to think back to something again. It usually happened whenever she spoke quietly, or with an unsure tone. I didn't want to bother her though, so I let her be.

All of the rabbits (save for Jiwoo) laid under the shade of the umbrella, soaking in the sights of the horizon and breathing in the cool ocean air. Jiwoo, strangely enough, remained within the basket.

Jisoo still kept chasing Jiyeon, eventually they would tire themselves out and beg for more food, inevitably.

"I'm really glad you guys got me to go out today, it's been so long since I've been to the beach that...I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it." My owner's expression was that of serenity, but quickly became surprised.

"Mom, look! A sandcastle!" A kid from nearby had said, with her family nearby. Heejung had looked at them with a look of, at first, confused curiosity, which slowly made its way into melancholic emptiness.

It looked as though she were about to cry again before she softly gasped.

Jiyeon had jumped into her lap to avoid Jisoo, who was now growling quietly. Jiyeon seemed to be rubbing it in his face.

"Jiyeon…" She said with an annoyed tone but still laughed a bit.

I still looked at them with observational eyes, trying to understand what could have been running through their minds. But it was Heejung who tried to see the most of us with her expressions, as though there were something to us that caught her attention in some way she couldn't have imagined.

During that time, her eyes wandered off back to the waves, as though she had been curious about something. But she shrugged it off and smiled.

"Ah, that will never happen of course…"

* * *

_As though it had become a routine, Heejung increasingly spent more and more time with my company. It still puzzled me as to why it could have just been myself, the other animals had begun to pick up on that as well. _

_Though, I wasn't entirely sure how much that mattered to them. A lot, I'd imagine._

_When I think about it...it really began to start after that accident with the brush. She really looked over me every day since then, even though she would have spent time with the others, she tended to me most of the time she was free._

_It probably should have invoked a feeling of security and deep gratitude within others, but...it didn't for me._

_No...I only felt useless that I had to be taken care of by another person. It made me feel like a child to be nurtured in such a way and it was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling._

_Maybe that's cold of me to say, but I suppose if you spend so much of your time alone, it just becomes a natural way of thinking. Perhaps._

_I could still see it in her eyes if she held me or was near me in general. Eyes of both intense curiosity and deep sense of caution, she really didn't want to hurt me again. _

_Were I in a human form, I would have said, "Don't worry about me.", and shrugged it off. But of course, I couldn't._

_It really is a terrible feeling to not be capable of speaking your own mind._

_But, I suppose that would be natural if someone obsesses over your hair. Ah, such a pain sometimes._

_The end of the third month had come, and what a long three months it has really been. I never would have imagined myself living as a literal animal for such a long period of time, let alone for one day._

_But it was certainly an interesting experience to have lived within such a compact space of interesting characters. If I had remembered much of anything, I probably could have claimed this adventure to be the most unusual, though I am mistaken with my intuition often._

_It was a surreal day out today. Though the day had been fine for Summer, this marked the end of it inevitably._

_Just as Autumn brings changes to be made for the new Winter, I knew that it would have been the same within this house soon enough._

_The time for being carefree and free of worries was sure to be over now...and the real part of our being here, was to take place._

_Sigh. I hope I'm doing the right thing._

* * *

The air from the veranda smelled of lavender, with a hint of mangoes as well. It was refreshing from my senses, as I had grown tired of smelling Jisoo. He was difficult when it came to taking care of himself.

My owner had spent her day studying for her upcoming semester. Of course, the laundry for next week would have needed to be done in order to show up, so she spent the rest of the day taking care of that.

Jihae and Jieun were nearby of course, mostly just doing their own thing but still observed politely. For the usual days, this was quite a calm and relaxing one.

Once she had finished folding what had dried from being hung up, she noticed me and smiled.

It caught me off guard a little, but I remained focused again as she walked towards me, kneeling down.

"Hey little guy, you okay? You're hanging out by yourself again, you're not mad at me, are you?" She smiled a little with her joke.

I would have shaken my head, but settled for a blink. I gave a short bark so I could get her attention.

"Hm? What is it, boy?" She asked. Perhaps I had finally gotten used to those names she gave me.

My paws walked over to the side of the couch and fished out a brand new black ribbon for her.

"Huh? Where'd you find this?" She gently held it within her palms. Truthfully, I just kept an eye out for spares during the past few days she had left.

Jiyeon had thought it would be neat if he could have had his own for himself, unfortunately, he quite literally tore it to ribbons.

"Aw, Jitae, you're so sweet! Thank you, boy~." She pet the top of my head carefully but enough to soothe. I think I could feel my tail wagging again.

Her face held a soft expression of appreciation as she looked down to me, but it slowly turned into a yawn.

"Oh dear...I wished I hadn't spent so much time studying, the day's already over." She looked back outside as the sun was setting, she sighed.

"School starts back Monday...then it'll be back to the same busy routine again." She looked at me, speaking as though I were a person.

"Though...even though all that stress will follow me back, I know I'll be okay." She smiled. "Because I have you and all the other animals, you guys inspire me to do my best."

I watched over her as she spoke those words, it felt really peculiar. Inspired...have we really had that much of an effect on her?

Sure, it's probably natural for a person to raise the morale of another person if they matter, but we were just animals still. Is that something common in this world too?

Heejung laid me down and made her way into the kitchen to fix dinner most likely, as Jisoo ran in there shortly after with the others lagging behind.

Once we all ate, she said her goodnights and left for her bed. We soon laid back down to rest for the night.

* * *

The next morning, I was leashed up to go on a run with my owner. She went occasionally on her own, but this was the first time she ever took me to do so. I hadn't really paid much attention to her dietary habits.

But looking at her now...she did have quite a slim and petite figure...hm. I need to focus.

It was a nice day out, pretty much still the same as it was for most summer days, but I could feel the days would get cooler ahead.

Heejung wore a slim fit pair of gray track pants with a light shirt to match, though it did expose her midriff, complete with a pair of dark running shoes. She was actually pretty well in shape, so I didn't see why there was such a need to strain over a run.

We ran through some of the markets that ran through downtown of the city, passing by a lot of shops that were getting ready to open for the day. People would wave as we passed by, others would mind their own business or stare, as it seemed to be the case for the population.

Nothing really was wrong I suppose, didn't seem like...wait. I could smell someone following us.

I looked behind us as we trotted down the asphalt, and noticed a man that had been slowly catching up to us. My eyes narrowed, he didn't seem like someone I would trust.

Soon, he caught up and jogged beside my owner. I could feel a deep, negative feeling rising within me.

"Hey there! Nice day today, huh?" He said with a cheerful tone.

Heejung turned her head, surprised as though she hadn't expected anyone to talk to her.

"H...huh? Oh, well yes! I-It is." She said awkwardly.

The feeling within me continued to grow itself, twisting into knots of frustration.

"Say, how come I've never seen a pretty girl like you around, eh?" He gave a sickening grin that made me growl.

"What…? Pretty? Um...sir I don't think…"

"How about you and I go on a date tonight, yeah? I mean after all, today's Saturday and the nightlife is gonna be booming later on!" As soon he said that, I could feel the frustration turn into intense anger.

"...I...I'm sorry I can't." She said finally, stopping.

"Whaddaya mean you can't?! What makes you think that you're out of my league, huh?!" The slimy man grabbed her and she didn't respond, hoping someone would have intervened, but people just walked on as though nothing was going on.

Finally, he got impatient and looked down to me and grabbed me violently.

My eyes widened with rage inside, I could feel my grip on myself loosening.

"No please! Don't hurt him!" My owner cried out desperately towards me.

I felt something else besides the whirlpool of violent tendencies awaken inside of me...and a light arose to blind us.

"What the _HELL _is going on?!" The man yelled in front of me, my teeth continued to grit.

"...h...huh…?" Heejung quietly quivered.

I felt a tingling sensation as my body began to shift and change. Clothing reappeared onto me, the tattered cloak wrapping around me and the weight of my mask becoming familiar upon my face.

The weight of my body shifted onto the ground with feet instead of paws as I stood between them like a wall, protecting her. Her eyes were widened with shock.

I felt the man's hands let go of me with a terrified face, my eyes remained fixed on his, in rage.

"_**Keep your hands off of my owner.**_" I commanded.

He tried to protest but my hand grabbed his neck, strangling him tightly. He struggled to breathe.

I could feel the air escaping from his lungs and not coming back in, nothing else came to my mind.

"S...stop! Please!" I heard that familiar voice behind me, snapping me back to attention. My hand slipped and he fell back to the ground. I hadn't realized I had held him in the air.

Before I could tell him to leave, he was already running, tripping over some of the merchandise from shops on the side of the street.

The anger within me slowly began to subside as he became smaller in the distance. I noticed the stares of fear from the people around me.

Perhaps I caused a little too much of a scene. Not that it was the first time.

I turned back to Heejung, looking to her through the mask that veiled myself. She had been staring at me in quiet fear.

"Are you alright, my owner?" I asked with concern.

"I...yeah...but...who are you…and owner?" Her words were jumbled, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"I believe you call me Jitae." I said.

"...J...Jitae…? But...he's a puppy, and you're…" Her eyes had wandered over me, unable to really tell what I was.

I sighed. I had figured she would have ended up in some delusional state. My hand rested on the leash that had remained attached to me from my previous form, that connected to her hand.

She gasped, her staring eyes never left me with her quivering breath.

"Sorry if I'm still not...cute to you." I said, almost as a joke to break the awkward silence.

At first, she remained completely quiet. But then she burst out laughing hysterically. Everyone looked at her strangely.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you're Jitae? That's ridiculous!" I guess it was better for her to be in denial than completely terrified of me.

I sighed and noticed the others. My hand raised towards them, my mask emanating power and an abysmal darkness arose from my hand, blocking their view of us.

The curse marks burned on my skin as punishment for using dark magic, but it was necessary so they wouldn't recognize us.

Heejung's eyes were wide in shock, looking back to me.

"What...is that?" She asked eventually.

"Our ride home." I said, walking towards the darkness, holding my hand out to her.

"No! Why would I go into some strange, empty darkness with someone I don't even know! Let alone when I have no idea what's going on! I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what really is going on!" She held firm in her resolve.

I knew that if I didn't explain something to her, we would have been stuck here.

"...I really am that wolf who stayed by your side when you had nightmares, Heejung."

She stopped, looking back to me when my words hit her.

"I'm sorry. You do deserve an explanation, but...there's only so much that I can really tell you." I said cryptically.

"...What do you mean?" She asked.

I thought to myself for some way I could have explained things to her without breaking the terms of the contract. It was difficult to try and word it right but, I needed to try.

"My duty is to protect you and to make sure you are happy. Obstacles like that man…" I paused with a cringe, "...or your difficult days, I'm meant to help you through them."

It wasn't the whole truth, but it was the best I could afford.

Her golden eyes teared up with both sadness and comfort.

"I understand that you have many questions for me that I can't answer right now, but I promise I will do my best to satisfy your curiosity in due time. Will that be alright?" I asked for her permission.

I could see that she struggled to accept the situation as it had just unfolded before her, but eventually she slowly took my hand with a soft sigh.

"Okay...I'll hold you to your word." She said, with a slight smile.

The last bit of anger within my heart fell away upon hearing her say that. It was a soothing, serene feeling to hear such a thing.

Her small hand felt soft within mine, and I gave it a more firm grip as I led her to the portal that would take us back.

"Close your eyes if you're afraid, nothing bad will happen to you." Only me.

My owner hesitated for a moment, but nodded. She closed her eyes.

We stepped through, the light behind us closing and another opening ahead. I led her through it, with our feet resting upon the familiar floor of her bedroom. The portal closed behind us.

She opened her eyes and was astonished to see that she was back home.

"...wow…! That was...incredible!" She exclaimed quietly.

My heart was hurting from having to use the mask's power, but I tried to stay as composed as possible.

"Yeah...I'm glad you thought so…" I said in a bit of pain.

She looked back to me with concern, "Huh? Are you okay?"

Her hands extended towards me to help, but I backed away some.

"Y...Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry." I lied. It was only temporary, but the pain would eventually lessen itself.

"...Are you sure? You look like you're in a lot of pain…" Her voice was softer this time.

"Yes, my owner. I'm sure." I sighed, "Besides, I'm the least of your problems at the moment, you still have the other animals to meet."

She turned back to me, surprised.

"What…? Do you mean…?"

"Yes, I do. Unfortunately."

* * *

_The introduction was a very shaky one to say the least. While I had known that the other animals were guys before this predicament, I hadn't really expected their appearances to be as extravagant as they were._

_Jisoo and Jiyeon both did not dress quite nearly as elegantly as the rabbits, but weren't too far from each other on their own terms. _

_But as for the rabbits, they dress as though they seemed like royalty from a place that just yelled that they were not of this world._

_Each of them, like myself, were complete with animal ears and tails reflecting that of their species and prior appearances, which came as no surprise to me._

_But naturally, it came as a strange shock for Heejung. She had difficulty accepting this and of course wanted an explanation. But as I had told her, there wasn't much we could say, except that we were here as part of a game and that a Wizard was behind it._

_It made me sad, because I knew she could have been more accepting if she were told more, but that was just the nature of the contract. _

_Still, she eventually agreed to allow us to stay in her home, on the pretense that we wore some hats or "hoodies" as she called them, this would hide our ears and allow for blending into this society._

_I had no such thing except for my cloaked hood, and I would have caused too much of a commotion, so I didn't have much intention of going anywhere._

_Regardless, it was good to be accepted, despite being so abnormal._

_I had found that my belongings had been transported back after our transformations, inluding theirs. That was a relief, there had been things that wasn't ready to let go of yet._

_That night, I still couldn't rest and I'm not really sure if Heejung was able to either. Had I been in her position, I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep after learning that strange forces such as us exists out of the norm._

_It was only her face of both fear and comfort that kept replaying through my head that entire night, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it either…_

_I hope I didn't frighten her._

* * *

I couldn't sleep much last night. Beyond the usual nightly raids of the fridge by Jisoo or Jiwoo watching soap operas on TV, yesterday kept playing through my head on a loop.

She seemed terrified when she saw me. Couldn't really say I was surprised, but still...maybe I frightened her too much?

Perhaps I appeared as some sort of demon to her.

The sun had been up for about two hours, the number of people on the sidewalks below had increased steadily. It was the last day before people went back to school for their semesters, my owner included.

Seemed like they were making their preparations to succeed or just to enjoy what little time they have left of freedom before it's back to the same stressful routine of daily responsibility. Can't really say I envy them much.

Off the peripheral of my vision, I could see the steam protruding for the small space of the bathroom door, my owner must be getting ready to go somewhere.

"Here." I heard a voice say followed by a whoosh sound.

I turned to catch something black and furry by Jiwoo. My eyes turned back to Jiwoo in questioning.

"You need to get out of the house, you haven't left once, stupid." He crossed his arms with eyes closed.

Before I could get irritated with him, I looked down to see..._what the hell is this_?

It looked like a mix between a scarf and a hooded hat, black fur-like material with the two ends of the scarf resembling clawed paws, complete with wolf ears.

"...You must be joking." I said blankly.

Jiwoo's vein must have popped at that instant.

"You dare to complain, you _ungrateful bastard_?! That wasn't cheap you know!" He growled.

I sighed, in the distance I could see a pair of white hair and ears complete with red eyes looking from the corner of the kitchen, Jieun was observing while partaking an apple.

"Besides! You're not going to take that ridiculous mask off anyways, do you want to go around freaking out everyone with that tattered blanket you call a cloak?" Jiwoo's eye twitched a few times.

He was right though, I couldn't just take off my mask and let people see what I am, at least with this...ridiculous hood, I may be able to blend in somewhat better.

"...Thanks. I guess." I said finally.

Jiwoo looked at me for a moment, cooling down a bit before nodding.

"Yeah well, whatever! Don't thank me anyways, it was the white rabbit's idea and the tall rabbit went to get it for you. I'm just a messenger for idiots." Jiwoo crossed his arms as though he were too important to care, though his facade was pretty easy to see through. He sat back down to check out the latest drama in South Korea's soap operas.

I gave him a pat on the head to annoy him more before making my way to Jieun.

He looked at me quietly as he kept biting into the apple, making strange eating sounds with it. Once I looked past that strangeness, I spoke.

"Thank you, but why did you insist?"

Jieun continued to observe me with his eyes of ruby, they struck me as very familiar to mine, just with a darker shade.

"...You've never smiled or laughed." He said very softly, barely hearable.

His words struck me, deeply. Did Jieun spend all of his time just observing me, or is he just that perceptive with everyone?

"What makes you say that? I always wear a mask, you couldn't see my facial expressions even if I wanted you to."

Jieun closed his eyes again, lowering the apple.

"You carry enough pain for a handful of people, I've felt it ever since the first day…" His voice carried a melancholic tone.

I didn't really know what to say to him, arguing against him feels futile. This kid was unusually aware of things.

"...I see the same in Eddie. Don't be sad like Eddie."

Eddie...he keeps referring to Jihae that way. They're both far different than Jiwoo, despite him being a rabbit too. Who are they?

"...well, thank you anyways. Please give my regards to Jihae."

I turned around to walk back towards where I kept my few things and stopped in my tracks, my owner stood there with a expression of nervous curiosity about her.

"U-Um...hey Jitae." She said awkwardly with a weak tone of the voice. Perhaps she still wasn't used to my real form.

Patience Jitae...patience….

"Hello, my owner." I said with a nod.

Her eyes averted slightly, a tinge of red sprouting along her cheeks. She gave a bit of time for deep thought before she finally spoke up.

"I um...was going to go out for a while, I was wondering if you'd like to go with?" She clasped her hands together, probably wondering if it was a good idea to ask me such a thing.

Naturally, I didn't want to. There were so many people out in the city, especially during a time like this, and I especially didn't feel like it after yesterday's incident. But...Jieun was right. I need to try and do things differently if I want to get better..

I took a deep breath for a tired sigh and slid my cloak off. I could hear her nervously gasp when my long, black hair fell to place and my wolf ears twitched.

But, my hands were twitching even more as...I tried to find the patience to put on the hood I was given. It fit onto my head, hiding my real wolf ears in favor of the fake ones.

"..." I crossed my arms, my lips felt a lot of pressure as I bit into them from annoyance.

Suddenly, I heard low, barely containable giggles from my owner. However, the other ones were not so subtle.

"Bahaha! Don't you just look 'adorable' Jitae?" Jisoo nudged at my shoulder and messing with the hood. The frown I hid from them felt as though it was being sculpted onto my face.

"I think it looks great! Seems like you're taking a lesson from me, none of the pretty ladies will be able to resist!" Jiyeon held his hands to his cheeks like the cat he is, sticking out his tongue, complete with his red cat ears hoodie. The frown began to turn to teeth gritting.

"Hey, you dumb cats! Shut the hell up! You can tell it wasn't easy for him to do that for the owner, so quit it!" Jiwoo spoke out quickly, surprisingly to my defense.

I could hear my owner gasp in surprise.

"...Jitae? You're wearing that for me…?" She asked with genuine sincerity.

I had been caught off by the surprise of Jiwoo not snapping at me for once that her question got through my defenses even more. I struggled to say anything for a moment.

"Well…I...yeah." I said finally, crossing my arms and looked to the side at the wall. I was still biting my lip.

She smiled at me, somehow I felt that it made her feel special. Her eyes of golden caramel almost made the embarrassment subside. Well, for a moment anyways.

"I think it looks cute on you." Her hands clasped again behind her back.

If I hadn't had my mask on, she would have seen how dumb I looked from her response, how did she make me feel ridiculous? I tried to recompose myself.

"I…." I tried to speak calmly. "I will go with you...if that's what you want." My lips began to hurt.

Her smile seemed to glow even more, almost as though it shimmered on the beige white small buttoned top she wore over the the small polka-dotted rich blue dress.

* * *

The city was loud as expected, people walking by, talking to friends or even lovers, with others too absorbed on their phones to notice much going on around them.

Such a strange world, it almost seemed like technology was the master over so many people here. But these were just always the curious observations I would make in my travels.

"So, where did you want to go, my owner?" I asked, noticing a few people were looking at me strangely or with piqued curiosity as we walked.

Everytime I called her that, she always tried to hide her face or move her eyes away.

"Jitae...you can just call me Heejung, you know." She looked forward embarrassedly.

"Yes that's true, but you are the one who looks after us, are you not?" I'm not sure why I didn't really call her by her name, maybe it's just because no one else does either and only Jiyeon does that.

She looked at me in surprise, as though she hadn't considered that she actually still was. I mean maybe it would seem strange to be the mistress to six other guys who used to be animals, out of context it could be misconstrued.

"Well yes but…" She stumbled to find another response.

"Heejung." I said simply.

She stopped and looked at me with an even bigger blush on her cheeks. Jeez, her face looked like she had witnessed something that would never happen.

"I see the reasoning behind your argument, so I will do my best to remember that from now on, Heejung." I had said still walking, stopping to see if she would continue.

Heejung caught up shortly, still trying to talk without being too awkward.

"Well...thank you. Oh! I was going up to the cafe to grab something to drink and then to my university to prepare for tomorrow, I usually draw when I'm up there so I can feel relaxed." She said with a soft smile, though it felt as though it hided more behind it.

I cringed a bit, knowing I wouldn't be able to drink anything without taking off my mask.

"Right...well, let's get going then." I said, still noticing the looks from the people around me.

* * *

"Welcome! How may I-...help you?" The cafe girl asked, skipping a bit on her sentence once she saw me. Heejung smiled and laughed awkwardly.

"Um, I'll have...a Caramel Macchiato would be nice, please." Heejung gave me a quiet glance, probably to see what I would get.

"Okay...and would you like something, sir?" The girl asked me unsurely.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." I insisted.

"But Jitae…!" My owner quickly and quietly whispered to me. "I'd like you to get something too…" Her eyes were filled with concern.

This was another time when I had wanted to assert that I was being reasonable. Truth be told, I was correct in this aspect. Still, whenever I saw Heejung's face, it always stirs something inside of me to convince me otherwise.

"...I'll take that." I pointed to a glass bottle of dark soda, crossing my arms in defeat yet again. As strange as it may sound, I actually like soda. I can't remember why.

My owner smiled sweetly and patted the top of the hood where my ears would have shown.

"Good puppy!" She said as though I were still a wolf. The other girl giggled at me as well. I simply grumbled under my breath.

We grabbed our drinks and took a seat at one of the booths. Heejung sipped through the straw, tasting the lightly brown liquid and sighed contently.

"How is it?" I asked to break her nervous silence. Her eyes looked back up to me from the 'Caramel Macchiato'.

"Oh, um...it's sweet but really delicious, want some?" Heejung held the drink out in front of her, straw pointed towards me. I shook my head and her smile disappeared.

"Jitae...do you ever take off your mask?"

Her question both caught me off guard yet, came as no real surprise whatsoever. I suppose I just hadn't expected the question to be at this moment. I didn't know what to tell her.

"I-I...I'm sorry if that's something I shouldn't have asked…" She was completely flustered.

It seemed blatantly obvious how curious she was about me, but there wasn't much to tell. Course, I couldn't just straight up tell her that and I sighed.

"It's okay, that was a perfectly reasonable question to ask." My owner's eyes turned back to me with suspense yet again.

"To answer your question, I really don't. Unless I have to." My answer couldn't have been any more honest.

"Oh...I understand." She finished her drink in silence. I grabbed the unopened soda and took it with us.

It was at this point, I was certain she would have tried to ask why I don't take my mask off or something more about it.

Yet...she didn't. Perhaps she was too afraid to ask or maybe it was just out of consideration for me. Either way, it made me feel guilty.

Still, it was better she didn't see me for who I really was.

After a bit of walking, we came upon a rather large building with gates.

"This is your university? Not bad." She smiled a little, which gave me a bit of relief.

* * *

Canvases almost seemed to litter the entire room, some untouched and others with unfinished works.

My eyes wandered about the room until I noticed Heejung drawing what appeared to be a meadow. It wasn't so much as the drawing that caught my attention, but Heejung herself.

Her eyes carried a soft and tender care to them, really showing how feminine she was at heart. The gentle smile complimented this and made me curious.

As a wolf, I had noticed her sketching frequently but I never noticed how she looked from a human's viewpoint while I was an animal. It was...interesting to see her this way.

"...Jitae…? Are you okay?" I snapped back to attention and realized I had been staring at her.

"I...uh, yeah...I was just admiring your drawing." I spoke another half-truth.

"Really? Wow, thank you. That's really nice of you, Jitae." She always said my name so much, and usually with embarrassment as she did now.

"I was wondering if I could see any of the drawings you had done in your sketchbook." I wasn't sure why I had been so curious as to see them, but it reminded me of the sketches I had done of places I couldn't recall.

She froze up completely, gasping softly and her face filled with anxiety.

"Oh...well I...it's just...I never show anyone them…"

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Well, I don't want to be judged or given a grade on something I do to feel better…" Her eyes fell to the floor with a deep sadness to them. As she said that, I got the feeling she wasn't talking about just her drawings.

"I'd never judge you, after all you've put up with a person like me for quite some time now. But, I understand if you don't want to." I dropped the subject for her comfort and looked back out to the window.

"..." She was quiet behind me and I turned back to her to see her eyes tearing up as she looked at me.

I saw her pick up the sketchbook and flip through several pages, anxiously looking over reach and every one of them before deciding. The fact that she was actually doing it shocked me.

"H-Here...it's not much but...I think this is my best one." Her hand shook as she handed me the book.

My hands held the sketch in front of me and my eyes widened.

"In case you were wondering...it's a-"

"_Dandelion_." I said before her.

"...?" My owner looked at me, probably surprised that some outsider knew of such a thing.

"To blow into the seeds, sending them into the wind until they settle is to fulfill a wish the heart desires…" Seeing the sketch only reminded me of my predicament and the great regret I held within myself about getting involved with this game.

Even though it was unfinished, the detail of the seeds floating off was...beautiful.

"Well, so they say anyways, not that it's possible." She laughed a little.

I felt such emptiness again, the very abyss of pain I carried with me found its way back to my subconcious. I had wanted to ask something that would have helped to ease that burden.

"What is your wish...my owner…?" My eyes turned to her through my mask. Heejung looked at me for quite a while and thought deeply about it.

"Honestly? I don't know what my wish is...or what I really even want." She gave a sigh but turned her attention back to me, "How about you, Jitae?"

"..." The burden had not been eased.

The heartache came back with an even deeper pain the moment she asked, because I knew the answer involved using her. She was a nice girl and I felt disgusting for being a part of this. Still, I tried to answer as honestly as I was able to.

"..._to find where I belong_…" I said very softly.

Heejung looked at me for a very long time with sadness in her golden eyes, I couldn't have known what she must have been thinking. Then, she spoke.

"If it makes you feel better, I enjoy having you here." Her eyes closed with a caring smile.

The heartache melted away like ice when I heard her say that. She...enjoys my company? I felt so strange inside of me, something I hadn't felt before. The pain of my curse still slept within but...something else made me feel...better?

"...thank you, that does make me feel better." I placed her sketchbook back into her hand.

"It's beautiful. Finish it someday, it conveys a great message, because I'd like to see it again."

Her eyes were tearing up, as though she had never heard anyone tell her anything like that before.

"I'll...I'll do my best…" She said finally with a sniffle.

What was this strange feeling within me?

"Come on, let's go home."


End file.
